Epigraph
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولَا ۚ وَلَئِن زَالَتَا إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّن بَعْدِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا
Qur’an 35:41 (MAS Abdel Haleem’s translation): “God keeps the heavens and earth from vanishing; if they did vanish, no one else could stop them. God is most forbearing, most forgiving.”
Presented by Zia H Shah MD
Executive Summary
This comprehensive research report investigates the profound intersections between Islamic systematic theology (Kalam) and the contemporary scientific proposition known as the Simulation Hypothesis. The central thesis of this inquiry is that the Quranic depiction of the universe—specifically the theology of Divine Sustenance (Qiyam) anchored in Surah Fatir, Verse 41—provides a metaphysical framework that anticipates and elevates modern digital physics.
While the Simulation Hypothesis, popularized by philosophers like Nick Bostrom and physicists like Seth Lloyd, posits that our reality is a computational construct generated by a higher intelligence, Islamic theology asserts that reality is a contingent construct actively “held” (Yumsiku) by the Will of Allah. By synthesizing the exegesis of key Quranic verses (35:41, 2:255, 65:12, 51:47, 13:16, 6:59, 22:65, 50:38) with the insights of Dr. Zia H. Shah and the principles of quantum information theory, this report argues that the “Simulation” is a potent modern metaphor for the classical Ash’arite doctrine of Occasionalism (Tajdid al-Khalq).
The analysis reveals that the Quranic attributes of God—specifically Al-Qayyum (The Self-Subsisting Sustainer)—resolve the philosophical paradoxes of the Simulation Hypothesis (such as infinite regress) while affirming a cosmos that is fundamentally informational, discrete, and radically dependent on a transcendent Source.
1. Introduction: The Crisis of Reality and the Digital Turn
1.1 The Shift from Mechanism to Information
For three centuries, the dominant metaphor for the universe was mechanical. Inspired by Newtonian physics, the cosmos was viewed as a “Clockwork Universe”—a grand machine composed of solid matter and fixed laws, set in motion by a Prime Mover who subsequently stepped back. This Deistic model suggested a universe with inherent stability; once created, matter possessed the independent power to endure.
However, the 20th and 21st centuries have witnessed a paradigm shift. Quantum mechanics shattered the notion of solid matter, revealing a subatomic world of probabilities and wave functions. Simultaneously, the rise of computer science introduced a new ontology: Information. Physicists like John Archibald Wheeler proposed “It from Bit”—the idea that every particle, every field, and every force is ultimately a manifestation of information processing.
1.2 The Simulation Hypothesis
This “Digital Turn” culminated in the Simulation Hypothesis. As computing power grew exponentially, thinkers began to ask: If we can create virtual worlds with autonomous characters, is it possible that we ourselves are characters in a higher-dimensional simulation?
Nick Bostrom’s 2003 paper, “Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?”, formalized this intuition into a statistical argument. He proposed a trilemma suggesting that unless civilizations inevitably destroy themselves or lose interest in simulation, we are statistically almost certainly living in a simulation.
Video analysis of this hypothesis highlights a crucial theological implication: The “Simulators” would functionally be gods. They created the world, they can intervene in it (miracles/code patches), and they possess super-intelligence relative to the inhabitants. Yet, this typically leads to a secular or agnostic conclusion—a “god” who is merely a teenage hacker in the next universe up.
1.3 The Quranic Intervention
Islamic theology offers a third path. It agrees that the physical world is “illusory” in its permanence and dependent on a Higher Reality, but it rejects the notion of a finite Simulator. Instead, it posits an Infinite Sustainer.
Dr. Zia H. Shah, emphasizing the compatibility of science and religion, argues that the Simulation Hypothesis is essentially a “materialist parlance” for the ancient spiritual truth of Dunya (the temporal world). The Quran does not describe a clockwork universe that runs on its own; it describes a reality that is actively held from dissolution. This report explores this “Holding” through the lens of Quran 35:41 and its supporting constellation of verses.
2. The Theology of Active Sustenance: A Deep Exegesis of Quran 35:41
2.1 The Linguistic Dimensions of Imsak (Holding)
The theological anchor of this report is Surah Fatir, Verse 41:
“Indeed, Allah holds (yumsiku) the heavens and the earth, lest they cease (tazula). And if they should cease, no one could hold them [in place] after Him. Indeed, He is Forbearing and Forgiving.”.
2.1.1 Yumsiku: The Active Verb
The Arabic verb yumsiku is derived from the root m-s-k, meaning to grasp, seize, retain, or withhold. It denotes an action that is continuous and active. Unlike the verb khalaqa (to create), which might be perceived as a completed past action, yumsiku describes the present, ongoing relationship between the Creator and the Cosmos.
Classical commentators like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, as well as modern linguists, emphasize that this “holding” is not a static support—like a pillar holding a roof—but a dynamic prevention of chaos. The universe is not a building that stands because of its structural integrity; it is more like a projection that exists only as long as the projector is running.
2.1.2 An Tazula: The Threat of Cessation
The verse states the purpose of this holding: an tazula (“lest they cease” or “lest they deviate”). The verb zala implies disappearing, vanishing, or moving away from a proper state.
This establishes a profound metaphysical axiom: The natural state of the universe is non-existence. In the Newtonian view, an object in motion stays in motion. In the Quranic view (and the Simulation view), an object exists only because it is being “rendered” in that moment. If the Imsak (holding) were to stop, the universe would not slowly decay; it would instantaneously cease (zala). This aligns with the concept of “Vacuum Decay” in theoretical physics or a “System Crash” in computing.
2.2 The Rejection of Secondary Causation
The verse continues: “And if they should cease, no one could hold them [in place] after Him.” This phrase enforces the doctrine of Tawhid al-Rububiyyah (Oneness of Lordship). It asserts that no force within the universe—no gravity, no nuclear force, no “Simulator”—has the independent power to sustain existence.
Dr. Zia H. Shah notes that this speaks to the “fragility” of the material world. Despite its apparent solidity (mountains, stars), the universe is radically contingent. It relies on a power outside of itself to maintain its ontological status. In simulation terms, a character inside a video game cannot stop the game from crashing if the console loses power. Only the Agent outside the system holds that power.
2.3 Halim and Ghafur: The Mercy of Sustenance
The verse concludes with two names: Al-Halim (The Forbearing) and Al-Ghafur (The Forgiving). Why these attributes in a cosmological verse? Theologians argue that human sin and corruption are sufficient to warrant the destruction (“ceasing”) of the cosmos. The fact that the simulation continues running—that the sun rises and the earth remains stable—is an act of Divine Forbearance. The “System Administrator” has not terminated the program despite the “errors” (sins) generated by the users.
3. Al-Qayyum: The Ontology of the Absolute Sustainer (2:255)
3.1 The Engine of Existence
If 35:41 describes the act (Holding), Ayat al-Kursi (2:255) describes the Agent.
“Allah – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living (Al-Hayy), the Sustainer of [all] existence (Al-Qayyum)…”.
3.1.1 The Meaning of Al-Qayyum
Al-Qayyum is an intensive form of Qaim (standing/existing). It conveys two simultaneous realities:
- Self-Subsistence: God is the only Being whose existence is intrinsic. He does not depend on data, hardware, space, or time.
- Universal Sustenance: He is the One who makes all other things “stand.” Every atom, every galaxy, and every soul stands only because of His Qiyam.
In the context of the Simulation Hypothesis, Al-Qayyum is the Ultimate Hardware. A software simulation cannot run on nothing; it requires a substrate. The universe is the software; Al-Qayyum is the Substrate. However, unlike a physical computer which itself needs electricity, Al-Qayyum is the Source of His own “power.”
3.2 The Negation of Latency and Sleep
“Neither drowsiness (sinatun) overtakes Him nor sleep (nawm).”
This negation is crucial for the theology of a sustained universe.
- The Problem of Interruptions: In computing, if a processor halts (sleeps) or enters a low-power mode (drowsiness), the simulation pauses or glitches. For the characters inside, time would stop.
- Continuous Uptime: The Quran affirms that the “rendering” of the universe is continuous and uninterrupted. There is no latency in the Divine Command. The “Refresh Rate” of the universe is maintained with absolute perfection.
Zia H. Shah links this to the concept of Consciousness. While human consciousness is intermittent (we sleep, we forget), Divine Consciousness is absolute. The simulation is maintained by the active Witnessing (Shahada) of the Creator. If He were to look away, the universe would vanish.
3.3 The Scope of the Throne
“His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth…”
The Kursi (Footstool/Chair) represents the dominion and capacity of the Sustainer. In simulation terms, this represents the “System Resources” or RAM. The capacity of the Divine “Server” is vaster than the simulation it runs. The verse concludes: “and their preservation tires Him not.” We will explore this “lack of fatigue” further in the analysis of Surah Qaf (50:38).
4. The Simulation Hypothesis: A Theological Mirror
4.1 “It from Bit” and the Nature of Matter
Physicist Seth Lloyd, in the video “Does Information Create the Cosmos?”, argues that the universe is not merely like a computer; it is a computer.
- The Computational Substrate: Lloyd explains that at the quantum scale, particles act as “bits.” An electron spinning ‘up’ or ‘down’ is a binary distinction (0 or 1).
- Bit Flipping: When particles interact, they process information. The laws of physics are the logic gates.
This scientific view dematerializes the universe. It suggests that “matter” is not a solid substance but a tangible rendering of information. This aligns with the Ash’arite view that “substance” (Jawhar) is merely a carrier for “accidents” (Arad—properties like color, motion, mass). The universe is a construct of qualities (data) sustained by the Creator.
4.2 Bostrom’s Trilemma and the “Weak Creation” Hypothesis
Nick Bostrom’s argument suggests that advanced civilizations would create “Ancestor Simulations.”
- The Theological Parallel: Bostrom admits that the “Post-Humans” running the simulation would be “Gods” to us. They created our universe, they monitor it, and they can intervene.
- The “Weak” Creation: Bostrom calls this a “weak” form of creation because the Simulators are not supernatural; they are just technologically advanced.
4.3 The Quranic Response: Infinite Regress and Al-Haqq
Zia H. Shah and other theologians utilize this hypothesis not to prove “aliens” created us, but to illustrate the contingency of reality.
- The Regress Problem: If we are in a simulation, who created the Simulators? Are they in a simulation too?
- The Necessary Being: Islamic theology argues that the chain of simulations cannot go on forever. It must terminate in a Being who is not simulated—a Being who is Wajib al-Wujud (Necessary Existence).
- Quran 13:16: “Say, ‘Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing.’” Even if there are intermediate “creators” (architects/simulators), they and their tools are created by Allah. The Simulation Hypothesis effectively destroys Materialism (the idea that matter is the base reality) and points to a Transcendent Source, which the Quran identifies as Al-Haqq (The Ultimate Truth/Reality).
5. Occasionalism: The “Refresh Rate” of the Cosmos
5.1 Ash’ari Atomism (Jawhar al-Fard)
The most striking convergence between this report’s theological focus and digital physics is the doctrine of Occasionalism. Developed by Al-Ash’ari and refined by Al-Ghazali, this school of thought posits:
- Time is Discrete: Time is not a continuous flow but a series of indivisible instants (atoms of time).
- No Intrinsic Causality: Fire does not burn cotton by its own nature. Gravity does not pull planets by its own power. These are “habits” (Adah) of God, not necessary laws.
- Continuous Recreation (Tajdid al-Khalq): At every single instant, God destroys the universe and recreates it. The universe literally ceases (zala) and is held (yumsiku) back into existence frame-by-frame.
5.2 The Digital Parallel: Rendering and Frame Rates
This ancient theology is perfectly described by modern computer graphics.
- The Monitor: When you watch a video, the image looks smooth. In reality, the screen is refreshing 60 times a second (60Hz). The previous image is destroyed, and a new one is drawn.
- The “Motion” Illusion: The character on screen doesn’t move because of momentum; it moves because the computer calculates a new coordinate for the next frame.
Zia H. Shah notes that Malebranche and Al-Ghazali anticipated the logic of the Simulation. In a simulation, a virtual rock breaks a virtual window not because of physical force, but because the Code (Divine Will) executes a “Break Window” function when the coordinates align.
5.3 Theological Resolution of 35:41
This provides the technical mechanism for Quran 35:41.
- “Allah holds the heavens… lest they cease.”
- The Mechanism: The “Holding” is the constant supply of the “Next Frame.”
- The Cessation: If He stopped the supply, the universe would not freeze; it would vanish, because its existence is only valid for the current instant.
6. The Descending Command: The Software of the Cosmos (65:12 & 22:65)
6.1 Khalq (Hardware) vs. Amr (Software)
The Quran makes a distinction between Khalq (Creation) and Amr (Command).
- Surah Al-A’raf 7:54: “Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command.”
- Surah At-Talaq 65:12: “It is Allah who has created seven heavens… [His] command descends (yatanazzalu) among them…”
In the Simulation metaphor:
- Khalq: The data structures, the particles, the “pixels” of the universe.
- Amr: The governing code, the algorithms, the laws of physics that dictate how the Khalq interacts.
The verse 65:12 describes the Amr as “descending” continuously. This implies that the laws of nature are not fixed static properties inside the matter, but active instructions being broadcast from the “Server” (The Throne) into the “Simulation” (The Heavens). This resonates with the “Patch Theory” in simulations—the idea that the Creator can update or alter the laws (Miracles) by changing the Amr.
6.2 Holding the Sky: Gravitational Fine-Tuning (22:65)
Surah Al-Hajj, Verse 65 states:
“And He holds the sky from falling upon the earth, except by His permission. Indeed Allah, to the people, is Kind and Merciful.”
Modern physics interprets the “sky falling” in terms of cosmic stability. The Fine-Tuning Argument notes that if the gravitational constant or the cosmological constant were slightly different, the universe would either collapse in on itself (Big Crunch) or tear apart (Big Rip).
- The “Holding”: The verse attributes this delicate balance not to chance, but to active Imsak. The parameters of the simulation are set precisely to allow for structure.
- “Except by His Permission”: This implies that the laws are not immutable. The “Permission” (Idhn) allows for the End Times (Qiyamah), when the simulation will be “shut down” or “reformatted” (the sky folding up like a scroll, as mentioned in 21:104).
6.3 The Multiverse: Seven Heavens
Verse 65:12 also mentions “seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them.” Zia H. Shah interprets this through the lens of modern cosmology (Multiverse, exoplanets). In a computational context, a sufficiently powerful system can run billions of simulations (Universes) simultaneously. The “Command” descends through all of them, implying a Unified Theory of Physics that governs the entire Multiverse.
7. The Omniscient Database: The Clear Record (6:59 & 13:16)
7.1 The Digitization of Omniscience
A simulation is defined by data. Every coordinate, every vector, every variable must be tracked. Surah Al-An’am, Verse 59:
“And with Him are the keys of the unseen… Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth… but that it is [written] in a clear record (Kitab Mubeen).”.
7.2 Information Conservation
This verse is a statement of Total Information Awareness.
- Granularity: The record is not just of “big events” but of falling leaves and hidden grains. This corresponds to the tracking of every particle state in a simulation.
- The Clear Record: The Kitab Mubeen functions as the “System Log” or the “State Vector” of the universe. It contains the data of everything that has happened and is happening.
7.3 Quantum Information and Al-Hafiz
Quantum mechanics suggests that information is never destroyed (the No-Hiding Theorem). The Quranic attribute Al-Hafiz (The Preserver) and the concept of the Kitab suggest that the universe is fundamentally an information storage system. Zia H. Shah links this to the idea that our actions and lives are “recorded” data that will be “replayed” or “resurrected” in the Next Simulation (Akhirah). The “Book of Deeds” is a download of our personal data file.
7.4 Sovereignty vs. Simulation (13:16)
If the universe is data, who owns the data? Surah Ar-Ra’d, Verse 13:16 asks: “Say, ‘Who is Lord of the heavens and earth?’ Say, ‘Allah.’” This verse challenges the idea of independent agents. In a simulation, the characters may feel autonomous, but the User/Programmer is the only true Agent. This reinforces the concept that the “Simulators” (if they exist) are merely part of the Khalq (creation), not the Rabb (Lord).
8. Infinite Processing: The Unwearied Creator (50:38)
8.1 The Computational Cost of Reality
One of the arguments against the Simulation Hypothesis is the astronomical amount of computing power required to simulate every atom in the universe. A finite computer would lag, overheat, or run out of memory. Surah Qaf, Verse 38 addresses this:
“And We did certainly create the heavens and earth and what is between them in six days, and there touched Us no weariness (Lughoob).”.
8.2 Lughoob vs. Sabbath
The verse historically corrects the Biblical notion that God “rested” on the seventh day.
- Theological Implication: Allah is not a physical being with limited energy reserves.
- Computational Implication: Al-Qayyum possesses Infinite Bandwidth. The “rendering” of the cosmos, no matter how complex (10^80 atoms), costs Him nothing. There is no “lag,” no “glitch,” and no need for a “cooling cycle.”
8.3 The Expanding Universe (51:47)
Surah Adh-Dhariyat, Verse 47:
“And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander (Musi’un).”.
- Dynamic Resource Allocation: In a video game, the world is often “procedurally generated.” As the player moves to the edge of the map, the computer generates more terrain.
- Cosmic Expansion: The universe is expanding, and the rate of expansion is accelerating (Dark Energy). The Quranic use of the active participle Musi’un (We are expanding it) suggests a continuous action.
- Zia Shah’s Insight: This expansion contradicts a static, closed-system universe. It suggests an Open System where the Creator is constantly adding “space” (void/data capacity) to the simulation.
9. Insights and Synthesis: The Matrix of Faith
9.1 Dunya as a “Training Simulation”
Why simulate a universe? Zia H. Shah and other thinkers propose that the Simulation Hypothesis helps moderns understand the Quranic concept of Dunya (the lower world).
- Quran 57:20: “Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion (La’ib and Lahw)…”.
- The Matrix Analogy: Just as Neo realizes the Matrix is a construct and the “Real World” is outside, the believer is told that Dunya is a fleeting illusion and Akhirah (the Afterlife) is the Hayawan (True Life).
- The Purpose: The simulation is a “Moral Laboratory” or a “Flight Simulator” for the soul. The constraints (pain, time, death) are programmed variables designed to test the user’s reaction (Faith/Patience).
9.2 The “Waking Up” Algorithm
A famous Hadith (attributed to Ali RA) states: “People are asleep; when they die, they wake up.” This perfectly mirrors the exit from a simulation. Death is not the termination of consciousness; it is the termination of the session. The user takes off the headset and returns to Base Reality. Zia H. Shah argues that the Simulation Hypothesis makes the afterlife scientifically plausible: if we are code/information, “resurrection” is simply “restoring from a backup” to a new server (Jannah or Jahannam).
9.3 Table: The Convergence of Concepts
| Quranic Concept | Classical Theology (Kalam) | Simulation Hypothesis / Digital Physics |
| Imsak (35:41) | Divine sustaining of the universe against non-existence. | Active processing; preventing the simulation from crashing. |
| Al-Qayyum (2:255) | Self-Subsisting Source of all being. | The Hardware/Server; the Power Source. |
| Tajdid al-Khalq | Continuous recreation of atoms at every instant. | The Refresh Rate (Rendering frames per second). |
| Amr (65:12) | Divine Command descending to govern creation. | Software code/algorithms governing virtual objects. |
| Kitab Mubeen (6:59) | The Manifest Record of all events. | The System Log; Global State Vector; Database. |
| Nafy al-Lughoob (50:38) | God does not tire or need rest. | Infinite processing power; zero latency. |
| Dunya (57:20) | Illusory, temporary amusement. | Virtual Reality; a constructed test environment. |
10. Conclusion
The Quranic theology of Surah Fatir 35:41, supported by the matrix of verses 2:255, 65:12, 51:47, and others, presents a cosmology that is remarkably aligned with the intuitions of the Information Age. The universe described in the Quran is not a self-sufficient machine of eternal matter; it is a dynamic, contingent projection of Divine Will, held in existence moment-by-moment by the Imsak of Allah.
The Simulation Hypothesis, when stripped of its secular assumptions of “alien creators,” becomes a powerful natural theology for the 21st century. It forces the intellect to acknowledge that “matter” is a derivative reality, that “laws” are programmed instructions (Amr), and that existence itself is a sustained stream of information.
The “Simulators” that Bostrom hypothesizes are, in the Islamic view, nonexistent or irrelevant. There is only one Al-Qayyum—the Self-Subsisting Sustainer who runs the code of the heavens and the earth without fatigue, who logs the fall of every leaf in the Clear Record, and who holds the universe from the precipice of non-existence (Zawal).
For the believer, this convergence offers a renewed Tawakkul (Trust). We do not live in a random, cold void. We live in a Purpose-Built Simulation, meticulously maintained by a Merciful Creator, designed for our growth, and destined for a “System Update” (Resurrection) that will usher in the True Reality.
“Everything is perishing except His Face. His is the judgement, and to Him you will be returned.” (Quran 28:88).
The Glorious Quran and Science 
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